System and method for producing a pigmented cement composition

ABSTRACT

An aqueous composition for coloring cement based compositions comprising water, pigment, a suspension enhancing agent and latex polymer solids.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/625,894, filed Apr. 1,1996, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.08/438,781, filed May 11, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,708, issued Sep.24, 1996.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a composition, a method and a system foruniformly dispersing pigment in cement based compositions such asmortars and grouts. More specifically, the invention relates to a multicomponent system comprising a predetermined quantity of a cement basedcomponent and a predetermined amount of an aqueous pigment component.The mixture of the two components results in a cement based compositionof uniform and standardized color that is capable of being consistentlyreproduced if additional material is needed for a particular job.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cement based compositions have found broad use as grouts and mortars. Inparticular, cement based compositions have been used for setting andgrouting tile, for stuccos, for floor leveling and for patching mortars.

The addition of pigments or dyes to cement based compositions is wellknown in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,876 teaches a pigmentcontaining thixotropic slurry that can be stored in drums for 6-12months by a cement contractor and used in a batching system. See also:U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,986, U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,976, U.S. Pat. No.4,946,505, United Kingdom Patent No. 2,183,626, German Patent No.3,709,909 and WO 92/12102 which are incorporated herein by reference andgenerally describe pigmented cement compositions. Traditionally, theaddition of dyes or pigments to cement based compositions have beendirected to large scale applications where highly sophisticatedmeasuring devices have been available to insure correct color uniformityand shading.

Pigmented or colored cement based compositions such as grout, mortarsand stuccos have been gaining popularity because they provide unique anddistinctive appearances to various projects. In particular, coloredcement compositions have gained popularity for small scale projects suchas residential kitchens and baths.

Unfortunately, these small customized color cement composition projectsare limited because the laborer does not have access to sophisticatedmeasuring devices which can be used to consistently produce variousquantities of the cement based compositions with a uniform color. Moreimportantly, retailers and distributors will not stock a wide variety ofcolored mortars, grouts and stuccos because demand for a particularcolor or shade is not great enough to justify the large volume of shelfand storage space required to provide a full spectrum of colors andshades.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide amulti-component system and method that can consistently produce a cementbased composition with a uniform color without the need forsophisticated measuring equipment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide amulti-component system that can consistently produce a cement basedcomposition with a uniform color which will allow a retailer ordistributor to stock a full spectrum of colors and shades of cementbased compositions, with minimum shelf space.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide amulti-component system and method that can consistently produce a cementbased composition with a uniform color which has little or no volatileorganic components which can be emitted.

It is still a further objective of the present invention to provide anaqueous based pigment composition with a prolonged shelf life and whichcan be easily added to a dry cement based composition without the needof additional water or property enhancing components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by amulti-component system comprising a predetermined amount of a cementbased component and a predetermined amount of an aqueous based pigmentcomponent. The predetermined amounts of the cement component and theaqueous component eliminate the need for measuring equipment to be usedon the job site and enables the user to obtain a consistent colorthroughout the job even if additional batches of cement need to bemixed.

The cement component and the aqueous component are mixed together toproduce a final composition that can be used in any application wherecement based compositions have typically been used such as for groutingand setting of tile, as a mortar or as a stucco.

The cement based component of the present invention comprises cement andoptionally other conventional additives such as inert fillers. Theconventional additives may be added as a separate component in thesystem but it is preferred that the fillers be premixed and prepackagedwith the cement based component to insure consistent color reproduction.

The aqueous component of the present invention comprises about 50 toabout 96 weight percent water based on the total weight of the aqueouscomponent and about 0.01 to about 35 weight percent pigment based on thetotal weight of the aqueous component. In a preferred embodiment theaqueous component comprises about 70 to about 96 weight percent waterbased on the total weight of the aqueous component and about 0.01 toabout 20 weight percent pigment based on the total weight of the aqueouscomponent.

Some of the preferred pigments are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,322and are incorporated herein by reference. Other preferred pigments areavailable from Harcross Pigments, Inc., Bayer Corporation, ReckittsColour Ltd., or DuPont Corp. and are described in greater detail below.

It is preferred that the aqueous component also comprise: about 0.5 toabout 10 weight percent of a suspension enhancing agent; about 0.5 toabout 10 weight percent of a latex additive; optionally about 0.05 toabout 10 weight percent of a setting aid such as CaCl₂ ; and optionallyabout 0.01 to about 5 weight percent of dispersant. The foregoing weightpercentages are based on the total weight of the aqueous component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The cement of the cement component is preferably Type I Portland cementbut other types of Portland cement and/or other types of cements such asaluminious cement, Portland blast furnace slag cement or Portlandpozzolan cement may also be used.

Preferably, the cement component comprises either white Portland cementor gray Portland cement. Most preferably, the cement based component isa grout powder commercially available from C-Cure Corp. of Houston, Tex.under the tradename CUREPERFECT™ GROUT BASE, a mortar commerciallyavailable from C-Cure Corp. of Houston, Tex. under the tradenameAC-CENT® or a cement finish commercially available from C-Cure Corp. ofHouston, Tex. under the tradenames PM SMOOTH FINISH and EXTERIOR STUCCO.

The cement component may comprise inert fillers. The fillers that may beused comprise aggregate filler, fine filler or a combination ofaggregate and fine fillers. The inert filler additive may be silicasand, limestone, perlite, volcanic aggregate, alumina trihydrate, groundquartz, volcanic ash, fine sand, talc, mica, clays, calcium carbonate(marble dust), other clean inert material or mixtures of the foregoing.The inert filler of the cement component may comprise one, or acombination of the above-identified clean inert materials. The ultimatecriteria of the inert filler is that it be graded with not more thanabout 10 percent passing a number 140 sieve and none retained on anumber 6 sieve, as well as having a AFS Grain Fineness Number (AmericanFoundry Society) of not less than 100 but greater than 20.

The pigments that are incorporated into the aqueous component arepreferably dry or powder pigments such as iron oxide, natural burntumber, carbon black, chromium oxide, ultra marine blue and titaniumdioxide and are commercially available from Harcross Pigments, Inc.,Bayer Corporation, Reckitts Colour Ltd. and DuPont Corp. Liquid pigmentsmay also be used in the present invention. If a liquid pigment is usedit should be capable of being dispersed in water, solvent free,unaffected by temperature ranges of 250° F. to 850° F. and stable inalkaline solutions.

The latexes which are employed in the aqueous component of the presentinvention are commonly dispersions or emulsions of rubbers, epoxies,acrylic resins or acetates. The preferred latexes of the presentinvention are selected from the group consisting of butadiene rubbers,styrene based polymers and copolymers, acrylic based polymers andcopolymers, polyvinyl acetates and any combination of the foregoing.

Some of the more preferred latex additives for the aqueous component areanionic and non anionic dispersions such as styrene, butadiene rubber oracrylics such as: DOW Latex 460 commercially available from Dow ChemicalCorp.; 4040 SBR Latex commercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corp.;Rhoplex MC-76 commercially available from Rohm and Haas Company;AIRBOND® CP67 commercially available from Air Products Corp; and ACRONAL2967 commercially available from BASF Corporation.

The suspension enhancing agent of the aqueous component of the presentinvention is a substance that decreases the settling of the aqueouscomponent and thereby aids in the stabilization of the aqueouscomponent. Some of the preferred suspension enhancing agents arecellulose ethers such as, methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose,sodium carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, animal glues, starches suchas corn, wheat, or potato, alginates, polyvinyl alcohols, proteins, gumssuch as gum arabic, gum guar, locust bean gum and clays such asmontmorillonite, kaolinite, hectorite and smectite and any combinationof the foregoing. Especially preferred suspension enhancing agents areMETHOCEL K-100 methyl cellulose, METHOCEL 240 S hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, both are commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. andattapulgite clay of the type commercially available from EngelhardMinerals Co., under the tradename ATTAGEL 40.

The setting aid, which is optionally employed in the aqueous componentof the present invention is a substance that causes the cementcomposition to cure faster, harder and/or prevent efflorescence. Themost common setting aids are salts that provide free calcium ions to theaqueous component. Some of the more preferred setting aids are calciumchloride, calcium sulfate, calcium formate and calcium stearate.

It is also desirable that the aqueous component of the present inventioncomprise a dispersant or a surfactant to aid in the uniform distributionof the pigment throughout the aqueous medium. Fatty amines, alkylamines,ethylene oxide condensates, or sulfonated soaps may be used as thedispersant. The most preferred dispersants are anionic or nonionicsurfactants.

The preferred nonionic surfactants are TRITON X-100, TERGITOL NP9,TRITON N-101 and TRITON CF-10 all commercially available from UnionCarbide Co., and MAKON 10 commercially available from Stepan ChemicalCo. The preferred anionic surfactants are TRITON X-200 commerciallyavailable from Union Carbide Co.; BIOSOFT D-60 commercially availablefrom Stepan Chemical Co.; and DOWFAX 2A1, DOWFAX 3B2, DOWFAX XDS 8292.00and DOWFAX XDS 8390.00 which are disulfonates commercially availablefrom Dow Chemical Company.

Either the cement component or the aqueous component of the presentinvention may also further comprise conventional property enhancingadditives such as latexes, liquefiers, reinforcing fibers,preservatives, antifoaming agents, thixotropy and viscosity controlagents, plasticizers and other miscellaneous additives commonly known inthe art. These property enhancing additives are present in amountscommonly known in the industry. The enhancing additives may also beadded to the present invention as a separate and distinct component orcomponents which will allow the final cement product to be furthercustomized for a particular application. For example, an acryliccopolymer dispersion of an acrylic ester and styrene may be premixed andprepackaged with the cement based component, aqueous pigment componentor a separate component to impart elastomeric properties to the finalcomposition.

In addition to the dispersants already described, additional dispersantaids for both the cement component and the aqueous component includesodium naphthalene sulfates, sulphonated melamines, or melamineformaldehyde condensate. An especially preferred dispersant aid for thecement based component is MELMENT commercially available from SKWChemicals, Inc.

Reinforcing fibers for either the cement component or the aqueouscomponent are chopped fiberglass or polyethylene fibers. Especiallypreferred fibers are Wollanstonite reinforcing fibers commerciallyavailable from the James River Corporation.

Preferred preservatives for either the cement component or the aqueouscomponent may be COSAN N 101 commercially available from CasChem,DOWACEL 75 commercially available from Dow Chemical Co., NUOSEPT 95commercially available from Huls America Co. or TROYSAN 174 commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.

Preferred antifoaming agents for the cement component or the aqueouscomponent are ANTIFOAM B commercially available from Dow CorningSilicon, GE 75 commercially available from General Electric Company, SAG10 commercially available from Union Carbide or NOPCO NXZ or NDW bothcommercially available from Henkel Co.

The other miscellaneous enhancing additives which may be used areethylene glycol, propylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, vermiculite,chlorinated paraffins, bromine compounds, and sodium stearate. Thesemiscellaneous additives are used to improve freeze thaw stability,accelerate setting, prevent shrinkage, efflorescence or sagging, flameretardancy or hydrophobic properties of the final cement product. It ispossible that these additives can also be used as setting aids which aredescribed above.

The multi-component system of the present invention is particularlyuseful on actual job sites to consistently and repeatedly produce smallquantities of a cement based composition with uniform color. A cementbased composition in accordance with the present invention is preparedon the job site by either mixing by hand or mechanical mixer apredetermined and preferably prepackaged amount of the cement basedpowder component with a predetermined and preferably prepackaged amountof the aqueous pigment component. This embodiment would not requireadditional water or additives because all the required elements for aparticular shade of cement, mortar, stucco or grout would be containedwithin either the predetermined and prepackaged amount of the cementbased component or the predetermined and prepackaged amount of theaqueous component.

In an alternative embodiment, additional amounts of water may be addedto bring the cement, mortar, stucco or grout mixture to the properconsistency for application. If additional water is required, it ispreferred that the empty container in which the aqueous pigmentcomponent was packaged be used to precisely measure the volume ofadditional water.

Once one batch of the colored cement, mortar, stucco or grout isdepleted, a second or additional batches of the colored cement, mortar,stucco, or grout can be prepared from the present invention as describedabove. The second or additional batches will have the same color andshade as the original batch.

A preferred embodiment of the cement component of the present inventioncomprises: approximately 20-60 weight percent, preferably 30-50 weightpercent, of a white Portland type I cement, approximately 40-75 weightpercent, preferably 55 to 70 weight percent of an inert filler and otherconventional property enhancing additives such as dipsersants, settingagents and latexes.

In an especially preferred embodiment of the aqueous component of thepresent invention, the aqueous component comprises: about 80 to about 94weight percent water; about 0.1 to about 15 weight percent of a pigment;about 1 to about 3 weight percent of a suspension enhancing agent; about1 to about 10 weight percent of a latex polymer solid; and about 0.05 toabout 1 weight percent of a dispersant. The foregoing weight percentagesare based upon the total weight of the aqueous component. The recitedranges for the water in the aqueous component include the water in whichthe latex polymer is usually dispersed.

The aqueous component may further comprise: about 0.1 to about 5 weightpercent of a setting aid; about 0.01 to about 2 weight percent of anantifoaming agent; about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent of a glycol toenhance the freeze thaw stability of the liquid component; and aneffective amount of a preservative for the aqueous component. All theforegoing weight percentages are based on the total weight of theaqueous component.

Although the applicants do not wish to be limited to a particulartheory, it is believed that the combination of the suspension enhancingagent and latex components of the preferred aqueous composition create asynergistic effect that increases the shelf life of the aqueouscomponent and retards separation of the individual components of theaqueous component. More importantly the combination of the suspensionenhancing agent and the latex component "softens" any separation of theindividual components such as the pigment, so that any component whichsettles can be easily redispersed throughout the aqueous component bygentle agitation or shaking of the aqueous component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will be described in detail by reference to thefollowing examples which are provided for illustrative purposes. Thefollowing examples should not be construed as limiting the invention.Many variations which do not depart from the spirit or scope of thepresent invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.All such obvious modifications are within the intended scope of theinvention.

PREPARATION 1

A cement based component is prepared by mixing 35 lbs of white Portlandcement, 63.95 lbs of fine silica sand exhibiting a 50-70 mesh, 1 lb ofclay commercially available from the Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Co. underthe tradename ALLAN A.F., and 0.05 lbs of poly vinyl alcoholcommercially available from Air Products under the tradename 540. Thecomponents are mixed in a ribbon type blender for approximately 10minutes.

PREPARATION 2

A cement based component is prepared by the procedure described forPreparation 1 except that 35 lbs of grey Portland cement is used insteadof the white portland cement.

PREPARATION 3

A cement based component is prepared by mixing 50 lbs of white Portlandcement, 49.65 lbs of limestone exhibiting approximately a 325 mesh valuecommercially available from Georgia Marble Co. under tradename No. 9WHITE, 0.05 lbs of a polyvinyl alcohol commercially available from AirProducts under the tradename 540, and 0.30 lbs of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under thetradename METHOCEL 240 S. The components are mixed in a ribbon typeblender for approximately 10 minutes.

PREPARATION 4

A cement based component is prepared by the procedure described forPreparation 3 except that 50 lbs of grey Portland cement is used insteadof the white Portland cement.

PREPARATION 5

A one pint aqueous pigment component is prepared by adding 0.814 lbs ofwater and 0.204 lbs Dow 460 latex to a tank and mixing the water andlatex in a Cowles type disperser at 200 rpms. While the water and latexare mixing, 0.003 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B and 0.010 lbs ofUnion Carbide's non ionic surfactant Triton X-100 are added. After theantifoaming agent and surfactant are added, 0.086 lbs of calciumchloride which is approximately 77% flake, commercially available fromDow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFLAKE is added to the mixture.

Once the calcium chloride is dissolved in the mixture, the speed of themixer is increased to 2000 rpms and 0.093 lbs of an attapulgite clay,commercially available from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradenameATTAGEL 40 is added to the mixture. After a smooth consistency to themixture is obtained, 0.001 lbs of Troysan 174 is slowly added followedby 0.161 lbs of yellow oxide commercially available from HarcrossPigments, Inc. under the tradename YO 2087, 0.003 lbs of red oxidecommercially available from Harcross Pigments, Inc. under the tradenameR03097 and finally 0.024 lbs of black oxide commercially available fromHarcross Pigments, Inc. under the tradename BK-5099.

The mixing continues at high speed until a lump free mixture is obtainedwith a Hegman grind of 6-7.

PREPARATION 6

A one pint aqueous pigment component is prepared by adding 0.758 lbs ofwater and 0.204 lbs Dow 460 latex to a tank and mixing the water andlatex in a Cowles type disperser at 200 rpms. While the water and latexare mixing, 0.003 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B and 0.010 lbs ofUnion Carbide's non ionic surfactant Triton X-100 are added. After theantifoaming agent and surfactant are added, 0.086 lbs of calciumchloride which is approximately 77% flake, commercially available fromDow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFLAKE is added to the mixture.

Once the calcium chloride is dissolved in the mixture, the speed of themixer is increased to 2000 rpms and 0.093 lbs of an attapulgite clay,commercially available from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradenameATTAGEL 40 is added to the mixture. After a smooth consistency of themixture is obtained, 0.001 lbs of Troysan 174 is slowly added followedby 0.32 lbs of yellow oxide commercially available from HarcrossPigments Inc. under the tradename YO 2087, 0.104 lbs of red oxidecommercially available from Harcross Pigments, Inc., under the tradenameR03097 and finally 0.108 lbs black oxide commercially available fromHarcross Pigments, Inc., under the tradename BK-5099.

The mixing continues at high speed until a lump free mixture is obtainedwith a Hegman grind of 6-7.

PREPARATION 7

A one pint aqueous pigment component is prepared by adding 0.903 lbs ofwater and 0.204 lbs of Dow 460 latex to a tank and mixing the water andlatex in a Cowles type disperser at 200 rpms. While the water and latexare mixing, 0.003 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B and 0.010 lbs ofUnion Carbide's non ionic surfactant Triton X-100 are added. After theantifoaming agent and surfactant are added, 0.086 lbs of calciumchloride which is approximately 77% flake, commercially available fromDow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFLAKE is added to the mixture.

Once the calcium chloride is dissolved in the mixture, the speed of themixer is increased to 2000 rpms and 0.093 lbs of an attapulgite clay,commercially available from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradenameATTAGEL 40 is added to the mixture. After a smooth consistency for themixture is obtained 0.001 lbs of Troysan 174 is slowly added followed by0.099 lbs of black oxide commercially available from Harcross Pigments,Inc. under the tradename BK-5099.

The mixing continues at high speed until a lump free mixture is obtainedwith a Hegman grind of 6-7.

EXAMPLE 1

A cement based composition in accordance with the present invention isprepared by pouring the aqueous pigment component of Preparation 5 intoa mixing container. After the aqueous pigment component is added to themixing container, one pint of water is added to the pint jar which heldthe aqueous pigment component. The pint of water is stirred in the jarand then poured into a mixing container. The water addition and stirringstep is repeated until a total of three pints of water and one pint ofthe aqueous pigment component are in the mixing container. This repeatedrinsing of the aqueous pigment component jar with water assures that allof the pigment is removed from the jar and is present in the mixingcontainer.

After the aqueous pigment and water are in the mixing container smallamounts of the cement based component of Preparation 1 are added to themixing container and mixed by hand or with a low rpm power mixer until25 lbs of Preparation 1 have been added and a uniform mixture with nocolor streaks has been obtained. The resulting composition is a groutcomposition with uniform and consistently reproducible sandstone color.

EXAMPLE 2

A cement based composition in accordance with the present invention isprepared by mixing the aqueous pigment component of Preparation 6 with25 lbs of the cement based component of Preparation 2 according to theprocedure outlined in Example 1. The resulting composition is a groutwith uniform and consistently reproducible russet color.

EXAMPLE 3

A cement based composition in accordance with the present invention isprepared by mixing the aqueous pigment component of Preparation 7 with25 lbs of the cement based component of Preparation 2 according to theprocedure outlined in Example 1. The resulting composition is a groutwith uniform and consistently reproducible grey color.

EXAMPLE 4

A cement based composition in accordance with the present invention isprepared by pouring the aqueous pigment component of Preparation 5 intoa mixing container. After the aqueous pigment component is added to themixing container, one pint of water is added to the pint jar which heldthe aqueous pigment component. The pint of water is stirred in the jarand then poured into a mixing container. The water addition and stirringstep is repeated until a total of five pints of water and one pint ofthe aqueous pigment component are in the mixing container. This repeatedrinsing of the aqueous pigment component jar with water assures that allof the pigment is removed from the jar and is present in the mixingcontainer.

After the aqueous pigment and water are in the mixing container, smallamounts of the cement based component of Preparation 3 are added to themixing container and mixed by hand or with a low rpm power mixer until25 lbs of Preparation 3 have been added and a uniform mixture with nocolor streaks has been obtained. The resulting composition is a nonsanded grout composition with uniform and consistently reproduciblelight sandstone color.

EXAMPLE 5

A cement based composition in accordance with the present invention isprepared by mixing the aqueous pigment component of Preparation 6 with25 lbs of the cement based component of Preparation 4 according to theprocedure outlined in Example 1. The resulting composition is a nonsanded grout with uniform and consistently reproducible light russetcolor.

Preparations 5-7 exhibit a viscosity of about 8000 cps (centipoise) toabout 12000 cps and most preferably from about 9500 cps to about 10500cps as determined by ASTM D2196-86 and exhibit a Hegman grind of about 4to about 8 and most preferably from about 6 to about 7 as determined byASTM D-1210-79.

PREPARATION 8

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared by first preparing apigment base. The pigment base is prepared by adding 2.5062 lbs ofwater; 0.1567 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commercially available fromEngelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40; 0.6809 lbs of BU5250 pigment (a burnt umber); and 0.1356 lbs of BK 5099 pigment (black),both pigments are commercially available from Harcross Pigments, Inc.,to a Cowles or Schold type high speed disperser and grinding the water,clay and pigment for approximately 15 minutes or until a Hegman grind of6-7 is obtained.

While the water, clay and pigment are being ground, an aqueous carriersolution is prepared by mixing: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.028 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0143 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B; and 0.4437 lbs of water in a Paddle type mixer at 200 rpmsfor about 10 minutes. While the water and latex are mixing, 4.6166 lbsof water, 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which is approximately 77%flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradenameDOWFLAKE, 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactant commercially availablefrom Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX 3B2 and 0.0009 lbs ofDow Corning Silicon Antifoam B are added to the mixer and mixed forapproximately 10 minutes at 200 rpms.

Once the calcium chloride is dissolved in the mixture, the speed of themixer is increased to 750 rpms and the pigment base is added to themixture. The mixing continues until a lump free mixture is obtained.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component inaccordance with the present invention which comprises about 85.3 weightpercent water (including the water from the Rovene® 4040 dispersion),about 1.7 weight percent of a suspension enhancing agent, about 9.0weight percent pigment and about 1.693 weight percent of Rovene® latexpolymer solids. The foregoing weight percentages are based on the totalweight of the one gallon aqueous component.

The one (1) gallon aqueous component prepared in accordance withPreparation 8 can be added to 35 lbs of the sanded CUREPERFECT™ cementbase or 17.5 lbs of the nonsanded CUREPERFECT™ cement base at a job siteto consistently produce a light brown grout, which does not require anymeasuring or additional water.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Preparation 8 was measuredfor settling by ASTM D-869-85. The result of this test is reported inTable 1.

PREPARATION 9

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water; 0.2193 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commerciallyavailable from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40;0.0271 lbs of Y 6090 pigment (a yellow oxide); and 0.0162 lbs of R 3098pigment (a red oxide), both pigments commercially available fromHarcross Pigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B; 5.880 lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which isapproximately 77% flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co.under the tradename DOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactantcommercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately 92.8weight percent water (including the water from the Rovene® 4040dispersion), approximately 2.6 weight percent of a suspension enhancingagent, approximately 0.51 weight percent pigment and approximately 1.8weight percent of Rovene® latex polymer solids. The foregoing weightpercentages are based on the total weight of the one gallon aqueouscomponent.

The one (1) gallon aqueous component prepared in accordance withPreparation 9 can be added to 35 lbs of the sanded CUREPERFECT™ cementbase or 17.5 lbs of the nonsanded CUREPERFECT™ cement base at a job siteto consistently produce a peach colored grout, which does not requireany measuring or additional water.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Preparation 9 was measuredfor settling by the method described in Preparation 8. The result ofthis test is reported in Table 1.

PREPARATION 10

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water; 0.2189 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commerciallyavailable from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40;0.2987 lbs of Y 6090 pigment; 0.0484 lbs of BK 5099 pigment; and 0.0484lbs of R 3098 pigment, all pigments commercially available from HarcrossPigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B; 5.721 lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which isapproximately 77% flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co.under the tradename DOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactantcommercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately88.88 weight percent water (including the water from the Rovene® 4040dispersion), approximately 2.5 weight percent of a suspension enhancingagent, approximately 4.5 weight percent pigment and approximately 1.8weight percent of Rovene® latex polymer solids. The foregoing weightpercentages are based on the total weight of the one gallon aqueouscomponent.

The one (1) gallon aqueous component prepared in accordance withPreparation 10 can be added to 35 lbs of the sanded CUREPERFECT™ cementbase or 17.5 lbs of the nonsanded CUREPERFECT™ cement base at a job siteto consistently produce an adobe colored grout, which does not requireany measuring or additional water.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Preparation 10 was measuredfor settling by the method described in Preparation 8. The result ofthis test is reported in Table 1.

PREPARATION 11

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water; 0.2162 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commerciallyavailable from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40;and 0.2491 lbs of BK 5099 pigment commercially available from HarcrossPigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B; 5.811 lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which isapproximately 77% flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co.under the tradename DOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactantcommercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWEAX3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately 90.5weight percent water (including the water from the Rovene® 4040dispersion), approximately 2.5 weight percent of a suspension enhancingagent, approximately 2.9 weight percent pigment and approximately 1.8weight percent of Rovene® latex polymer solids. The foregoing weightpercentages are based on the total weight of the one gallon aqueouscomponent.

The one (1) gallon aqueous component prepared in accordance withPreparation 11 can be added to 35 lbs of the sanded CUREPERFECT™ cementbase or 17.5 lbs of the nonsanded CUREPERFECT™ cement base at a job siteto consistently produce a gray colored grout, which does not require anymeasuring or additional water.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Preparation 11 was measuredfor settling by the method described in Preparation 8. The result ofthis test is reported in Table 1.

PREPARATION 12

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:2.5061 lbs of water; 0.1566 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commerciallyavailable from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40;0.6777 lbs of BK 5099 pigment; and 0.6681 G 4099 pigment (a greenoxide), both pigments commercially available from Harcross Pigments,Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B; 5.045 lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which isapproximately 77% flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co.under the tradename DOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactantcommercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately 80.6weight percent water (including the water from the Rovene® 4040dispersion), approximately 1.6 weight percent of a suspension enhancingagent, approximately 14.1 weight percent pigment and approximately 1.6weight percent of Rovene® latex polymer solids. The foregoing weightpercentages are based on the total weight of the one gallon aqueouscomponent.

The one (1) gallon aqueous component prepared in accordance withPreparation 12 can be added to 35 lbs of the sanded CUREPERFECT™ cementbase or 17.5 lbs of the nonsanded CUREPERFECT™ cement base at a job siteto consistently produce a dark jade colored grout, which does notrequire any measuring or additional water.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Preparation 12 was measuredfor settling by the method described in Preparation 8. The result ofthis test is reported in Table 1.

PREPARATION 13

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water; 0.2143 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commerciallyavailable from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40;and 0.0165 lbs of BK 5099 pigment commercially available from HarcrossPigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B; 5.951 lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which isapproximately 77% flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co.under the tradename DOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactantcommercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately 93.2weight percent water (including the water from the Rovene® 4040dispersion), approximately 2.5 weight percent of a suspension enhancingagent, approximately 0.192 weight percent pigment and approximately 1.8weight percent of Rovene® latex polymer solids. The foregoing weightpercentages are based on the total weight of the one gallon aqueouscomponent.

The one (1) gallon aqueous component prepared in accordance withPreparation 13 can be added to 35 lbs of the sanded CUREPERFECT™ cementbase or 17.5 lbs of the nonsanded CUREPERFECT™ cement base at a job siteto consistently produce a silver colored grout, which does not requireany measuring or additional water.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Preparation 13 was measuredfor settling by the method described in Preparation 8. The result ofthis test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 1

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water; 0.2143 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commerciallyavailable from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40;and 0.0165 lbs of BK 5099 pigment commercially available from Harcrosspigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.0817 lbs of propylene glycol;0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commercially available fromTroy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B; 6.2573lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which is approximately 77%flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradenameDOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactant commercially availablefrom Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX 3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately 95weight percent water, approximately 2.5 weight percent of a suspensionenhancing agent, approximately 0.192 weight percent pigment and no latexpolymer solids. The foregoing weight percentages are based on the totalweight of the one gallon aqueous component.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 1was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 2

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:2.5061 lbs of water; 0.1566 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commerciallyavailable from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40;0.6777 lbs of BK 5099 pigment; and 0.6681 lbs G 4099 pigment, bothpigments commercially available from Harcross Pigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.0817 lbs of propylene glycol;0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commercially available fromTroy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B; 5.3513lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which is approximately 77%flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradenameDOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactant commercially availablefrom Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX 3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately81.98 weight percent water, approximately 1.6 weight percent of asuspension enhancing agent, approximately 14.1 weight percent pigmentand no latex polymer solids. The foregoing weight percentages are basedon the total weight of the one gallon aqueous component.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 2was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 3

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water; 0.2189 lbs of an attapulgite clay, commerciallyavailable from Engelhard Minerals Co. under the tradename ATTAGEL 40;0.2987 lbs of Y 6090 pigment; 0.0484 lbs of BK 5099 pigments; and 0.0484lbs of R 3098 pigment, all pigments commercially available from HarcrossPigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.0817 lbs of propylene glycol;0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commercially available fromTroy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B; 6.0273lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which is approximately 77%flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradenameDOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactant commercially availablefrom Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX 3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately90.68 weight percent water, approximately 2.5 weight percent of asuspension enhancing agent, approximately 4.5 weight percent pigment andno latex polymer solids. The foregoing weight percentages are based onthe total weight of the one gallon aqueous component.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 3was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 4

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water and 0.0165 lbs of BK 5099 pigment commerciallyavailable from Harcross Pigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B, 6.1653 lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which isapproximately 77% flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co.under the tradename DOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactantcommercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately95.62 weight percent water (including the water from the Rovene® 4040dispersion), approximately 0.192 weight percent pigment andapproximately 1.8 weight percent Rovene® 4040 latex polymer solids. Theforegoing weight percentages are based on the total weight of the onegallon aqueous component.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 4was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 5

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:2.5061 lbs of water; 0.6777 lbs of BK 5099 pigment; and 0.6681 lbs G4099 pigment, both pigments commercially available from HarcrossPigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B; 6.0272 lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which isapproximately 77% flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co.under the tradename DOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactantcommercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately83.44 weight percent water (including the water form the Rovene® 4040dispersion), approximately 12.9 weight percent pigment and 1.5 weightpercent of Rovene® 4040 latex polymer solids. The foregoing weightpercentages are based on the total weight of the one gallon aqueouscomponent.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 5was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 6

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water; 0.2987 lbs of Y 6090 pigment; 0.0484 lbs of BK 5099pigment; and 0.0484 lbs of R 3098 pigment, all pigments commerciallyavailable from Harcross Pigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.3063 lbs of Rovene® 4040 Latexcommercially available from Ameripol Synpol Corporation; 0.0817 lbs ofpropylene glycol; 0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commerciallyavailable from Troy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning SiliconAntifoam B; 6.0962 lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which isapproximately 77% flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co.under the tradename DOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactantcommercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately91.38 weight percent water (including the water from the Rovene® 4040dispersion), approximately 4.5 weight percent pigment and approximately1.8 weight percent Rovene® 4040 latex polymer solids. The foregoingweight percentages are based on the total weight of the one gallonaqueous component.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 6was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 7

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water and 0.1920 lbs of BK 5099 pigment commerciallyavailable from Harcross Pigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.0817 lbs of propylene glycol;0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commercially available fromTroy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B; 6.4716lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which is approximately 77%flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradenameDOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactant commercially availablefrom Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX 3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately95.25 weight percent water and approximately 2.19 weight percentpigment. The foregoing weight percentages are based on the total weightof the one gallon aqueous component.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 7was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 8

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:2.5061 lbs of water; 0.6777 lbs of BK 5099 pigment; and 0.6681 lbs G4099 pigment, both pigments commercially available from HarcrossPigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.0817 lbs of propylene glycol;0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commercially available fromTroy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B; 5.5079lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which is approximately 77%flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradenameDOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactant commercially availablefrom Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX 3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately 83.8weight percent water and approximately 14.1 weight percent pigment. Theforegoing weight percentages are based on the total weight of the onegallon aqueous component.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 8was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

COMPARATIVE PREPARATION 9

A one gallon aqueous pigment component is prepared according to theprocedure outlined in Preparation 8 wherein the pigment base comprises:1.8796 lbs of water; 0.2987 lbs of Y 6090 pigment; 0.0484 lbs of BK 5099pigment; and 0.0484 lbs of R 3098 pigment, all pigments commerciallyavailable from Harcross Pigments, Inc.

The aqueous carrier solution comprises: 0.0817 lbs of propylene glycol;0.025 lbs of Troysan 174, a preservative commercially available fromTroy Chemical Co.; 0.0152 lbs of Dow Corning Silicon Antifoam B; 6.2462lbs of water; 0.0928 lbs of calcium chloride which is approximately 77%flake, commercially available from Dow Chemical Co. under the tradenameDOWFLAKE; and 0.0102 lbs of an anionic surfactant commercially availablefrom Dow Chemical Co. under the tradename DOWFAX 3B2.

The resulting composition is a one (1) gallon aqueous component not inaccordance with the present invention which comprises approximately92.91 weight percent water and approximately 4.5 weight percent pigment.The foregoing weight percentages are based on the total weight of theone gallon aqueous component.

The one gallon aqueous component prepared in Comparative Preparation 9was measured for settling by the method described in Preparation 8. Theresult of this test is reported in Table 1.

                  TABLE 1    ______________________________________    Settle Time               7 days   14 days 6 months    ______________________________________    Preparation 8                 10         9.5     9.5    Preparation 9                 10         9.5     9.5    Preparation 10                 10         9.5     9.5    Preparation 11                 10         9.5     9.5    Preparation 12                 10         9.5     9.5    Preparation 13                 10         9.5     9.5    Comparative Prep. 1                 5          2    Comparative Prep. 2                 5.5        2    Comparative Prep. 3                 5          1    Comparative Prep. 4                 5          1    Comparative Prep. 5                 4.5        1    Comparative Prep. 6                 4          0    Comparative Prep. 7                 4          0    Comparative Prep. 8                 4          0    Comparative Prep. 9                 4          0    ______________________________________     10 = no change; 5 = poor stability (much settling); 0-1 = heavy settling     (unusable)

The results of Table 1 show that the aqueous components prepared inaccordance with the present invention, Preparations 8-13, exhibit alonger settling time than compositions not prepared in accordance withthe present invention, Comparative Preparations 1-9.

Preparations 8-13 exhibit a viscosity of about 100 cps (centipoise) toabout 1100 cps and most preferably from about 140 cps to about 950 cpsas determined by ASTM D2196-86.

In practice, it is preferred that the aqueous pigment component bepackaged in a pint or a gallon sized container and the cement basedcomponent be packaged in 25 or 35 lb containers to eliminate the needfor sophisticated measuring devices on a job site. Other size packagingmay also be used such as quart sized containers of the aqueous pigmentand 50 lb containers of the cement based component or cup (8 fl. oz.)sized containers of the aqueous pigment and 12.5 lb containers of thecement based component.

It has also been found that the aqueous pigment component such as thosedescribed in Preparations 5-7 and 8-13 can be mixed with predeterminedand prepackaged amounts of cement based products such as masonry mortarscommercially available from C-Cure Corporation of Houston, Tex. underthe tradename AC-CENT®, cementitious finishes commercially availablefrom C-Cure Corporation under the tradename PM SMOOTH FINISH and stuccoscommercially available from C-Cure Corporation under the tradenameEXTERIOR STUCCO.

It is also possible to combine predetermined amounts of two or moredifferently pigmented aqueous components to a predetermined amount ofthe cement component to create additional color variations for the finalcement product. For example, one half gallon of Preparation 9 and onehalf gallon of Preparation 13 can be added to 35 lbs of the sandedCUREPERFECT™ cement base or 17.5 lbs of the nonsanded CUREPERFECT™cement base to consistently produce a taupe colored grout, which doesnot require any measuring or additional water. Such a combination systemfor consistently preparing a pigmented cement product from two or moredifferently pigmented aqueous components would preferably employ acombination chart or grid such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No.5,362,322, which is incorporated herein by reference. The method forpreparing a pigmented cement composition that employs the pigment chartcomprises the following steps: selecting a color from a color gridhaving axes with preselected colors; determining the component colorsfrom the axes of the grid corresponding to the selected color;thoroughly mixing two or more prepackaged compositions comprising anaqueous pigment component of the preselected color with a prepackagedamount of a dry powder cement component in a mixing container to obtaina cement composition with a uniform and standardized color.

All the above mentioned patents, publications and test methods areherein incorporated by reference.

We claim:
 1. An aqueous coloring composition for cement basedcompositions comprising:(a) about 80 to about 94 weight percent of anaqueous carrier; (b) about 0.01 to about 15 weight percent of a pigment;(c) about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent of a suspension enhancingagent; (d) about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent of a latex polymersolid; and (e) a setting aid.
 2. An aqueous composition as described inclaim 1 wherein the setting aid is present in an amount of about 0.05 toabout 10 weight percent.
 3. An aqueous composition as described in claim2 wherein the setting aid is a calcium salt.
 4. An aqueous compositionas described in claim 3 wherein the setting aid is calcium chloride. 5.An aqueous composition as described in claim 2 wherein the setting aidis present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 5 weight percent.
 6. Anaqueous composition as described in claim 1 further comprising about0.01 to about 5 weight percent of a dispersant.
 7. An aqueouscomposition as described in claim 6 wherein the dispersant is an anionicsurfactant.
 8. An aqueous composition as described in claim 6 whereinthe dispersant is a nonionic surfactant.
 9. An aqueous composition asdescribed in claim 7 wherein the anionic surfactant is a disulfonate.10. An aqueous composition as described in claim 6 wherein thedispersant comprises about 0.05 to about 1 weight percent of thecomposition.
 11. An aqueous composition as described in claim 1 whereinthe suspension enhancing agent comprises about 1 to about 3 weightpercent of the composition.
 12. An aqueous composition as described inclaim 1 wherein the polymer solids comprise about 1 to about 3 weightpercent of the composition.
 13. An aqueous composition as described inclaim 1 wherein the polymer solids are selected from the groupconsisting of butadiene rubbers, styrene based polymers and copolymers,acrylic based polymers and copolymers, polyvinyl acetates and mixturesthereof.
 14. An aqueous composition as described in claim 1 wherein thesuspension enhancing agent is selected from the group consisting ofcellulose ethers, clays, starches, cellulose, gums, polyvinyl alcohols,proteins, animal glues and mixtures thereof.
 15. An aqueous compositionas described in claim 14 wherein the suspension enhancing agent is aclay.
 16. An aqueous composition as described in claim 15 wherein thesuspension enhancing agent is attapulgite clay.
 17. An aqueous coloringcomposition for concrete based compositions consisting essentiallyof:(a) 80 to about 94 weight percent of an aqueous carrier; (b) about0.01 to 15 weight percent of a pigment; (c) about 0.5 to about 10 weightpercent of a suspension enhancing agent; (d) about 0.5 to about 10weight percent of a polymer solid wherein the polymer solid is selectedfrom the group consisting of butadiene rubbers, styrene based polymersand copolymers, acrylic based polymers and copolymers, polyvinylacetates and mixtures thereof; (e) about 0.1 to about 10 weight percentcalcium salt; and (f) about 0.01 to about 5 weight percent of a anionicsurfactant.
 18. A system for producing a pigmented cement compositionconsisting essentially of:(a) a dry powder cement component; and (b) anaqueous pigment component wherein the aqueous component comprises: (i)about 80 to about 94 weight percent of an aqueous carrier; (ii) about0.01 to about 15 weight percent of a pigment; (iii) about 0.5 to about10 weight percent of a suspension enhancing agent; and (iv) about 0.5 toabout 10 weight percent of a latex polymer and wherein the cementcomponent and pigment component are separately packaged and mixedtogether prior to use to produce a composition with a uniform andstandardized color.
 19. A system as defined in claim 18 wherein theaqueous pigment component is supplied in more than one package.
 20. Asystem as defined in claim 18 wherein the pigment component furthercomprises property enhancing additives selected from the groupconsisting of liquefiers, reinforcing fibers, coalescence additives,preservatives, antifoaming agents, viscosity control agents and mixturesthereof.
 21. A method for the preparation of a pigmented cementcomposition consisting essentially of:(a) pouring a prepackaged aqueouspigment component into a mixing container wherein the aqueous componentcomprises: (i) about 80 to about 94 weight percent of an aqueouscarrier; (ii) about 0.01 to about 15 weight percent of a pigment; (iii)about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent of a suspension enhancing agent;and (iv) about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent of a latex polymer; and(b) mixing a prepackaged amount of a dry powder cement component withthe aqueous pigment component in the mixing container to obtain a cementcomposition with a uniform and standardized color.
 22. A method asdescribed in claim 21 wherein the aqueous pigment component is suppliedin more than one package.
 23. A method as defined in claim 21 whereinthe aqueous pigment component further comprises property enhancingadditives selected from the group consisting of liquefiers, reinforcingfibers, coalescence additives, preservatives, antifoaming agents,viscosity control agents and mixtures thereof.
 24. A method for thepreparation of a pigmented cement composition comprising:(a) pouring aprepackaged aqueous pigment component into a mixing container whereinthe aqueous pigment component comprises: (i) about 50 to about 94 weightpercent of an aqueous carrier; (ii) about 0.01 to about 15 weightpercent of a pigment; (iii) about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent of asuspension enhancing agent; and (iv) about 0.5 to about 10 weightpercent of a latex polymer; (b) mixing a prepackaged amount of a drypowder cement component with the aqueous pigment component in the mixingcontainer; and (c) mixing an additional amount of water in the mixingcontainer to obtain a cement composition with a uniform and standardizedcolor.
 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the package of the aqueouspigment component is used as a measuring device to determine the amountof additional water to be added.